Technical malfunction at British air traffic control causes flight chaos

A technical malfunction in air traffic control has caused chaos at several British airports. According to reports, many machines were unable to start as planned.

The London airports Heathrow and Gatwick and Stansted, as well as the airports in Manchester and Birmingham, were affected. According to the flight data portal Flightradar24, around 300 flights were canceled by early evening.

The problems were also noticeable at German airports. For example, flights from Frankfurt or Düsseldorf to London were canceled, as can be seen on the websites of the respective airports. The situation was similar at airports in other countries, for example in Zurich.

There were announcements in Munich that there would be no more flights to London on Tuesday. Travelers were asked to book an overnight stay, as a dpa reporter reported.

The company Nats, which is responsible for air traffic control in many places, said it was a problem with the flight processing system. They are working on fixing it. However, this could take some time.

"We are supporting our local Nats team in their efforts to resolve the issue as quickly as possible. We will provide updated information as soon as we have it," Heathrow Airport announced on X. "We apologize to those affected and advise passengers to check with their airline for the latest flight information."

“There is currently a technical aviation issue affecting airspace in the south of the UK, affecting a number of departures,” Birmingham Airport also wrote. "We apologize for any inconvenience. Travelers traveling today should continue to arrive in accordance with airline advice and contact their airline directly for the latest flight information and updates."